


Six Feet Under

by lavendersun



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Character Death, Injury, M/M, Zombies, dumbass volleyball players
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:28:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25793632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavendersun/pseuds/lavendersun
Summary: Volleyball dumbasses that are just trying to survive
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title inspired by the song Six Feet Under by Billie Eilish

It would be a caramel-coated lie if Hinata claimed that his life hadn’t been going perfect for the past two months. Beating Shiratorizawa had sent his team skyrocketing in popularity in the sports’ world. People  _ knew  _ him. 

The only real thing that had concerned him from that point on was improving and practicing for Nationals. What else could he possibly have to worry about?  
That was what everyone thought, at least until the end of November. The last week of the month, Sugawara and Kiyoko had both gone on a college tour in Tokyo. Suga was talking with some of the school advisors and the volleyball team, and Kiyoko was simply there as support and a representative of Karasuno’s volleyball team.

Back in Miyagi, everything seemed perfectly fine. Though it was turning quite cold and snowy out, the volleyball team practiced relentlessly, for hours each day. When they weren’t having practice, Hinata and Kageyama were typically going out on runs together or practicing their infamous quick attacks.

That is, until the incident struck.

Nobody could have expected it or seen it coming. It all started with a failed experiment, which led to a disease. That disease corrupted and took over the human body, somehow killing that person and affecting them in the afterlife. It was such a fictional thing, and at first, nobody could believe it.

But then it started to spread. Cities crumbled across the world, the population slowly becoming dominated by this plague. 

And suddenly, everyone’s problems were now so much greater than Nationals or practice volleyball matches. It was life or death.


	2. Chapter 2

“Kageyama!!”

Hinata’s throat was practically raw from the fact that he had been shoving through the crowds of people in the center of town, screaming the name of his setter.

After returning home from school that day and hearing about some disease that turned people into “zombies”, he had immediately left to find Kageyama. The thought of his setter out there trying to survive on his own…

Hinata pushed the thought out of his head and continued searching.

“Kageyama!” he shouted again, then tripped over someone’s foot.

He flailed his hands in front of him, trying to stop his fall, but someone caught him by the shoulders.

“Quit screaming, dumbass.”

And there he was. Tall, dark-haired, broody, elegant Kageyama. He was staring down at Hinata with a mix of concern and anger. 

“Kageyama! You’re okay! I thought you got turned into a zombie!”

Kageyama ruffled Hinata’s hair. “I’m not dumb enough to have something like that happen to me!”

“Don’t lie, Kageyama. And you’d be a scary zombie.”

“Shut up! And this is probably all some scam, anyway.”

An elderly lady glared at Hinata and Kageyama. “It’s not. You two need to cut this shit out and go somewhere safe instead of screaming in the streets. You two will be the next to die if you don’t run now.”

“Have you… have you seen the zombies?” Hinata asked quietly, stepping closer to Kageyama.

“My husband,” the woman murmured. “He was out this morning in the garden, and out of nowhere, this crazy deranged person, who almost resembled an animal, came out of the garden and attacked him. They had the palest skin and dead eyes. I ran as fast as I could and saw the news reports. If you two were smart, you’d go hide somewhere.”

Hinata shared a glance with Kageyama, his hands starting to shake. “We should find the rest of the team,” he whispered and Kageyama nodded.

“You should take your own advice,” Kageyama said, turning back to the woman. “Get out of this town, go far away. With everyone clumped up here, you’re all bound to get attacked.”

Almost as if on queue with his words, screams erupted from the back of the crowd. Kageyama didn’t wait for Hinata to say anything, just grabbed his wrist and they started running together.

“All of that training did us good,” Hinata said between breaths. They were heading in the direction of Karasuno, their feet pumping the ground relentlessly. His wrist was sweaty in Kageyama’s grip, but he wasn’t willing to have the other boy let go just yet. Something about the contact between them helped keep Hinata going.

“We need to find somewhere to stay. We need to get food and water and shelter and weapons and-”

“Kageyama, you worrywart. Let’s get to the gym first, then start worrying about things like that.”

Kageyama let out a muffled, “hmph,” lifting his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face. 

For the rest of the run, they continued in silence. Hinata’s phone buzzed continuously in his pocket as they raced onward, but he didn’t bother to check it until they reached the outside of the gym.

Kageyama released Hinata’s wrist and started slamming his shoulder into the door. “Hinata, help me with this. It’s locked.”

“Stop being stupid, Kageyama!” Hinata laughed. “Let’s just break a window and climb in.”

“Or,” a new voice said, “just use the key.”

“Tanaka!” Hinata and Kageyama exclaimed, spinning around to face the bald boy. He grinned, spinning the key on his finger. Standing beside him was Nishinoya.

“What do you two even want in the gym?” Nishinoya asked, unlocking the door. 

“We could stay in the gym,” Hinata suggested. “What if we found some people on the team and just… waited it out?”

“There’s no ‘waiting it out’ in a zombie apocalypse,” Nishinoya snorted. “Plus, Daichi is back at the clubhouse with Tsuki, Yamaguchi, and Asahi. I think Yachi is there, too.”

“Then why are you coming to the gym?” Kageyama demanded, closing the door behind them.

“We got bored,” Tanaka said, grabbing a volleyball and spinning it in his hands. “We figured we’d bring some balls back so we weren’t miserable the entire time we’re there.”

“Woah! That’s a smart idea!” 

Kageyama smacked the back of Hinata’s head. “Cut that out, you dumbass! Let’s just grab the stuff we need and hurry back to the clubhouse. This whole disease thing doesn’t seem to be here just yet.”

“You’re right, smartypants,” Tanaka said, grabbing a bag with some volleyballs in it. “But it’ll spread quickly. We need to get out of here. And more importantly, we need to reconnect with Suga and Kiyoko.”

Since the incident had struck, Hinata had somehow forgotten that Suga and Kiyoko were away in Tokyo.

“Come on, you two,” Nishinoya said, wielding the stick of a broom like it was some sort of staff. “The cell towers aren’t down yet, so we can still reach out to them. And I’ll protect you all on the way over.”

Kageyama snorted. “I think we have a better chance of spiking them to death with volleyballs rather than trusting you to hit them with a broom.”

“Hey! Watch it!” Nishinoya snapped, pointing the stick at Kageyama threateningly. “Now, let’s hurry over there. I’m too cute to be a zombie."

The group walked in silence back to the clubhouse. Hinata stuck close behind Kageyama, occasionally bumping into him by accident. Kageyama tossed glares in Hinata’s direction but didn’t say anything.

When they reached the clubhouse, Tanaka knocked three times, then waited for the door to open. Inside, Tsukishima was sitting in one corner of the room, with Yamaguchi next to him. Tsuki had his headphones on and his eyes closed, and Yamaguchi looked up from his book to smile at Hinata.

“Hinata! I was worried that you wouldn’t come looking for us.”

Hinata stepped into the crowded room, shutting the door behind him. “Of course I would come look for you guys. You’re my team, after all.”

“But it’s not the whole team,” Tanaka muttered. A somber silence fell.

“Well,” Daichi started, standing up from his spot on the floor, “we need to get a plan together. Suga called me earlier and said that he and Kiyoko ended up meeting with some of our friends from Fukurodani and Nekoma. If we could all meet up, there’s an increased chance of us surviving.”

“You didn’t factor in our need for food, water, and protection,” Tsuki pointed out, taking his headphones off and leaving them around his neck. “I say we wait here for a little while, get ourselves stable and then we go find them.”

“Nobody asked for your opinion, you punk,” Tanaka said, glaring at Tsuki.

“I gave it anyway,” Tsuki retorted. 

“Your idea isn’t a bad one,” Daichi said. “But if we wait too long, we’ll lose connection with Suga and Kiyoko.”

“Then set a date and a place,” Tsuki shot back. “Give both of our groups time to settle down and get ourselves prepared.”

“Everyone good with that?” Daichi asked. “It’s a solid idea.”

“I just want food,” Nishinoya said, flopping down onto the ground beside Asahi. “Can we go get food?”

“Yeah,” Tanaka agreed. “I’m starving.”

Daichi sighed, rubbing his eyes with his hands. “I wish Suga were here. I can’t deal with all of you on my own.”

Hinata stood beside Kageyama, watching the group bicker. Only then did he remember that his phone had been going off the whole run to the school.

He pulled it out of his pocket to see that most of the messages were from his team members, Kenma, or Bokuto. He answered Kenma first.

**Kenma:** shoyo??? Is everything alright in your area?

**Kenma:** you’re not dead, are you??

**Kenma:** please don’t be dead, don’t leave me with Kuroo

**Shoyo:** I’m alive :)

**Shoyo:** are you alive?

**Kenma:** sadly

**Shoyo:** i heard you met up with suga and kiyoko

**Kenma:** yeah. Bokuto and Akaashi were visiting the same college as them and they all met up right before everything happened. And then I guess Bokuto forced all of them to come to Nekoma to find Kuroo and I. So we’re just kinda waiting here I guess

**Shoyo:** well the rest of my team is gonna come find you guys and then we can all survive together

**Kenma:** good luck getting into the city though. The outbreak was bad in Tokyo

**Shoyo:** then where are you? Are you safe??

**Kenma:** we all locked ourselves in Kuroo’s house. He’s got a lot of food and we’ve decided to wait here as long as we can

Hinata tucked his phone into his pocket and glanced up at Daichi. “Kenma said they’re all safe at Kuroo’s house for now. What if we left in one week to meet them there?”

“A smart idea for once,” Kageyama said. “I think it’s smart, but we can’t stay here.”

He was right; the room was crowded with the nine of them, and there would be no way for them to all sleep comfortably.

“How about we set up a camp in the woods?” Daichi suggested. “We would be far enough away from civilization and we could have a look-out.”

“Let’s go!” Tanaka shouted, reaching for his backpack. 

“Hold it, Tanaka,” Daichi said. “First, we need to get tents and blankets, as well as food and water, just for tonight. Tomorrow, we can gather more supplies. We’ll need them for the journey to Tokyo.”

“Why do I get the feeling we’re all going to die slow, painful deaths?” Tsukishima asked from his corner.

“I vote Tsukishima is our first sacrifice to the zombies,” Tanaka muttered.

“Me too,” Nishinoya agreed.

“Cut it out, you two!” Daichi snapped, glaring at them. “We need to work together so we all survive this.”

“And what if it never goes away?” Tsukishima demanded. “What if we’re stuck living in fear for the rest of our lives?”

“Then we adapt to it,” Daichi said. “We find a way to continue getting food and water, and we find a safe place to live.”

“But there’ll be no girls,” Tanaka whined. “What if I’m stuck with all of you smelly boys for the rest of my life?”

“We don’t smell!” Hinata and Kageyama snapped at the same time. 

Hinata glanced over at Kageyama. The setter seemed cool and confident, completely prepared to take on whatever new challenges would be thrown at them. But Hinata knew him better than that. He stepped closer to Kageyama, their shoulders brushing. He wanted to reassure him and tell him things would work out okay, but he knew Kageyama would just snap at him. Hinata sighed.

“We should split up,” Daichi said. 

“Is that a good idea, though?” Yamaguchi asked. His hands were shaking in his lap. “What if we get… what if… what if something bad happens?”

“Tadashi, you’re worrying too much,” Tsuki said, handing Yamaguchi a different book from the one he had already been reading. 

“B-but I don’t want to die. And there are actual zombies out there, Tsuki. You’re telling me you’re not just a little afraid?”

Tsuki shrugged.

“Tadashi is right,” Daichi said. “We need to be cautious, but we still need to split up. We’ll need to get weapons and food and water, as well as tents and blankets.”

“I’ll go with Kageyama,” Hinata said. “We work great together.”

Kageyama rolled his eyes, but he didn’t say anything.

For the next few minutes, they decided on the groups. Nishinoya ended up with Asahi, and the two were going to look for weapons. Daichi, Tanaka, and Yachi were in charge of food and water. Tsuki and Yamaguchi were going to find tents, while Hinata and Kageyama were going to look for blankets, pillows, and extra clothes.

“If we’re not all back here in three hours, I’ll assume something happened,” Daichi said, “and I’ll come looking for you myself. Turn the location on for your phones, so we can see where everyone is, got it?”

The group nodded, and Hinata’s heart thumped furiously in his chest. What if something happened out there? What if one of the groups got attacked? What if they couldn’t find supplies? What if-

“Dumbass, I know what you’re thinking,” Kageyama said, but in a tone that wasn’t as sharp as usual. “Everything is going to be fine.”

“You don’t know that,” Hinata argued, following Kageyama to the door.

“You’ve got me with you,” Kageyama pointed out. “I’m not going to let anything happen.”

“That’s sweet and all,” Hinata said, “but if we get attacked by zombies, I probably won’t wait around for you. I’m running away as fast as possible.”

“You’re so bad at lying, Hinata. Now, come on.” And with that, they exited the clubhouse and reentered their collapsing world.


	3. Chapter 3

“Akaaaaaaaaashiiiiiiiiii!”

Akaashi sighed and tried to block out the incessant yelling of Bokuto. Since they were all cramped into Kuroo’s house, Bokuto seemed to have decided to spend all of his time following Akaashi around.

“Akaashi, pay attention to me!”

“What do you want, Bokuto?”

Bokuto smiled, his sad mood seemingly forgotten. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

“Whatcha doin?”

Akaashi took a deep breath, willing himself to be patient. Bokuto was  _ always  _ like this. He was constantly asking Akaashi random questions or begging him for praise. “I’m trying not to hit you in the face.”

“Let’s go play some volleyball!”

“Where?” Akaashi asked, leaning against the doorframe. Kuroo’s house wasn’t particularly big, so Kuroo and Kenma were sharing a room, Kiyoko had a room to herself, and Suga slept on the couch. That meant that Akaashi and Bokuto had to share the last room.

“We can practice passing in the garage,” Bokuto said. “Please?”

Akaashi gave in. Even if Bokuto was annoying, he had a hard time turning down the ace. Especially when he pouted and started whining. “Alright, let’s go.”

They walked downstairs and into complete chaos.

Suga and Kuroo were doing their best to nail boards over the door, while Kiyoko was cooking something that actually smelled pretty good. And Kenma…

Akaashi had never seen the boy so worked up. His hair was a mess and he was glaring at Kuroo like he had killed someone.

“Kozume… you good?” Akaashi asked, walking over to the boy.

“Kuro took my phone.”

“Oh.” Akaashi glanced at Bokuto for help, but Bokuto had already wandered off to look at a picture on the wall. “Why did he do that?”

“Because I’m apparently ‘not helping’.” 

Kuroo paused his hammering to glare at Kenma. “Do you want to die in the zombie apocalypse or what?”

“I was playing Subway Surfers.”

Kuroo crossed his arms. “Help us cover the doors and windows, then I’ll give you your phone back.”

“Whatever.”

Akaashi smiled to himself, then returned to Bokuto’s side. The boy was looking at a picture of Kenma and Kuroo when they were kids.

“Kuroo’s always had an ugly hairstyle,” Akaashi murmured. “Now, come on. I thought we were playing volleyball.”

Bokuto smiled and they headed into the garage. Akaashi grabbed a volleyball and tossed it to Bokuto. They fell into a rhythm of passes for a while.

“Are you scared, Akaash?”

“My name is Akaashi, not whatever you just said.”

“It was a nickname.”

“I’m kind of scared. Are you?”

Bokuto shrugged, passing the ball back to Akaashi. Akaashi knelt and received it. “I don’t like the idea of turning into a zombie.”

“We’re gonna be safe here,” Akaashi tried to reassure Bokuto. He wasn't entirely sure whether or not they would be safe at Kuroo's, especially since they were in Tokyo, which was a big city. There would be a lot of people here, so the chance of infection would be extremely high.

“Only for so long. What happens when the food runs out? Are we going to have to eat each other?”

“Bokuto, you dumbass. No, we’re not converting to cannibalism. Besides, I don’t think you’d taste that good.”

Bokuto winked. “You sure about that?”

Akaashi tripped and missed the ball, his face bursting into flames. “W-what?”

He met Bokuto’s gaze and they stared at each other for an awkward amount of time until the door to the house opened and Kuroo said, “Come on, lovebirds, time to eat.”

Akaashi hurried into the house and refused to look at Bokuto during the meal.

*****

“Shoyo said he’ll meet us here in one week,” Kenma said. Their group was clumped in a circle in the living room, with Kuroo and Kenma on one of the couches, Bokuto and Akaashi on the other, and Kiyoko and Suga on the floor. 

Akaashi had decided to ignore what Bokuto had said in the garage earlier. It wasn’t the first time he had made some dumb comment like that, but every time he did… Akaashi pushed the thought out of his mind. He needed to focus. This was serious.

“So we just have to wait here for a week?” Kuroo asked.

Kenma shrugged. “I guess.”

“Did you tell Hinata that Kiyoko and I are safe?” Suga asked. His wide eyes were worried, and Akaashi couldn’t help but pity him. He was separated from his entire team.

Kenma nodded. 

“We should get some supplies,” Bokuto suggested.

“Like what?” Kuroo asked. “We have plenty of food here.”

“I want a change of clothes,” Kenma muttered. “And a new game.”

“Sorry, Pudding, but you’re out of luck with the second one.”

“Did you just call me ‘Pudding’?” Kenma demanded, glaring at Kuroo.

“Yep.”

“Isn’t there a department store not too far from here?” Kiyoko said suddenly. 

Kuroo nodded. “A few of us could go there and get some stuff. But we’ll need to be careful. We should get some weapons.”

Bokuto nudged Akaashi and whispered, “I’m gonna go kill all those zombies. It’ll be amazingly cool.”

“You’ll probably whine like a baby at the first sight of one of them.”

“AkaAAaAaasHi,” Bokuto whined. “So mean.”

“I’m just being honest.”

“Maybe you could lie to me every once in a while.”

“Alright. I can’t wait to see you kick some zombie ass.”

“Can you two please shut up and listen?” Kuroo snapped suddenly. “We’re trying to make a plan.”

Akaashi glared at Bokuto jokingly, who stuck his tongue out in response.

“We need some weapons, and we need water. And it wouldn’t hurt to have more food or clothes or blankets,” Kuroo said. “So, I think it would be smart if four of us went out to get supplies and two of us stayed here.”

Suga nodded. “I’ll go.”

“I figured you would want to stay here,” Kuroo said. “You and Kiyoko could stay, since Kenma and I know our way around this area.”

“What about Bokuto and I?” Akaashi asked.

“You two are in charge of clothes and blankets and things like that. Kenma and I will get weapons, food, and water.”

“Akaashiiiiiii, we get to go shopping together.”

“More like shoplifting.”

“Same thing.”

Akaashi rolled his eyes. “When should we leave?”

“Let’s go now,” Kuroo said. “There are a few baseball bats in the garage, and there are kitchen knives. Take your pick.”

“Do you have a gun?” Bokuto asked.

Akaashi shoved his shoulder. “You are the last person I would trust with a gun.”

The four of them headed to the garage and Akaashi picked up a metal baseball bat. “Here, Bokuto, use this.”

Bokuto grabbed the handle and immediately started swinging it. Akaashi held up his arms for protection.

“Be safe,” Kuroo said. He was holding a crowbar, while Kenma had a rusted pipe and a knife.

Akaashi grabbed a different baseball bat. “Come on, Bokuto. Let’s go.”

“Cominggggg,” Bokuto said, skipping after Akaashi as they headed outside.

They immediately froze. Down the street, there were a few figures walking, swaying in a way that wasn’t human.

Akaashi glanced over at Bokuto, making sure he was safe. The boy was staring at Akaashi, and he opened his mouth like he was going to say something.

Kuroo smacked a hand over Bokuto’s mouth and glared at him. Slowly, the four of them headed towards the sidewalk.

Kuroo leaned down and whispered, “We’re heading this way to the store. Head straight back to the house if something happens. Got it?”

Akaashi nodded. He took a step closer to Bokuto as Kuroo and Kenma headed in the opposite direction of them.

Bokuto and Akaashi started walking together down the street. There was supposed to be a department store somewhere around here.

“Akaashi?” Bokuto whispered loudly. 

“Be quiet, Bokuto.”

“But, Akaashi-”

“Bokuto.”

Bokuto pouted, his hair wilting. “Why are you being mean today?”

“I’m not.”

“Yes huh! You’re never like this.”

“Bokuto, you do realize that a zombie apocalypse just started, right?”

“Well, yeah, but it’ll be fun! Like in the movies!”

“Say that over my rotting corpse.”

“You’re not gonna die,” Bokuto argued. “I’ll protect you.”

Akaashi sighed and rolled his eyes. Some things with Bokuto never really did change. He was still annoying and somewhat… flirty?

Akaashi didn’t even know if he could describe it as that. Bokuto always seemed to seek Akaashi’s attention, no matter what he was doing. Bokuto refused to eat lunch with anyone other than Akaashi at school. He would whine at volleyball practice until Akaashi complimented his skills. He would always beg Akaashi to sit with him on the volleyball bus.

Stupid Bokuto. He was so complicated for no reason sometimes.

And Akaashi couldn’t say that he didn’t like all of the attention Bokuto gave him. 

“Whatcha thinking about, Akaash?”

“Didn’t I tell you not to call me that?”

“Awwww, Akaaaaaaashi, you’re no fun.”

“Be quiet, Bokuto.”

They had turned a few street corners and were now nearing the department store. Which meant there would either be people or zombies inside.

Bokuto pouted at Akaashi again, but it didn’t last long. They could see through the front windows of the department store and it wasn’t a pleasant sight. Milling around inside were a few zombies.

Akaashi held up a finger to his lips, signaling to Bokuto to stay quiet. Bokuto nodded and took the lead.

“What are you doing?” Akaashi demanded.

“Protecting you. Duh.”

“Boku-”

“Shhhhhhhh. Don’t you worry your pretty little self, Akaashi. I’ve got this.”

“If you turn into a zombie I will  _ kill  _ you.”

Bokuto took a few more steps towards the store. He had his baseball bat raised over one shoulder, prepared to strike at any zombie that came for him.

Akaashi hurried after him, reassured at the fact that Bokuto was there with him. He wouldn’t want to have to survive on his own in a zombie apocalypse. 

Together, they crept through the open doors and into the store. There weren’t very many zombies, and Akaashi was about to suggest they move stealthily through the space, but Bokuto appeared to have other plans.

Before Akaashi could stop him, Bokuto charged at the nearest zombie and wacked it in the head with his bat. It fell to the ground, presumably dead or injured.

Akaashi rubbed a hand over his face.  _ I can’t tell if I’m Bokuto’s full-time babysitter or if I’m his friend.  _

Akaashi hurried after Bokuto, raising his own baseball bat. There were a few more zombies throughout the store, and they seemed to have clumped together into a few small groups.

Bokuto leaned close to Akaashi and whispered, “I’ll be over there, in case you need me.” His breath tickled Akaashi’s ear, and Akaashi shivered.

“Please don’t die.”

Bokuto grinned and waved as he headed to one side of the store.

Akaashi examined the section of the store he was left in. It was women’s clothing. Delightful.

_ When Bokuto hit that zombie, none of the other ones seemed to be aggravated by that. Perhaps they didn’t hear? _

In every novel or show that ever portrayed a zombie apocalypse or something like it, the zombies always seemed violent and aggressive.

Akaashi made sure he was safe before glancing back towards Bokuto and realized he was right. Zombies were aggressive.

Two of them were trying to claw at Bokuto, and he was kicking and swinging his baseball bat ferociously. 

Akaashi couldn’t help but giggle to himself as Bokuto knocked both the zombies to the ground and planted his hands on his hips proudly.

_ He’ll brag about that later _ , Akaashi thought.

Something brushed against his arm.

Akaashi whirled around and swung his bat right as a zombie lunged at him. The zombie was knocked backward by the hit, but it didn’t fall to the ground. Instead, it lunged for him again.

Akaashi was about to swing again but something made him pause.

The zombie…

It looked so… human? Yes, its skin was deteriorating and a black, tar-like substance drizzled down its chin but… Akaashi didn’t want to hurt it. It looked like a man. A man that perhaps had a family, people that cared about him.

The zombie gripped Akaashi’s arm, yanking him out of his thoughts and to the ground. Akaashi was lying on his back, and on instinct, he tried to kick but missed.

The zombie landed on top of him, jaws snapping mere inches from Akaashi’s face.

His heart was beating a thousand miles a minute, and though the world seemed to have fallen to utter shit in less than 24 hours, Akaashi didn’t want to die. Not like this.

And then the zombie was off of him and someone was stomping on its head until it stopped moving and went still.

Akaashi sucked in a deep breath and looked at his savior, who, of course, was Bokuto.

Bokuto’s face was sweaty and blood was dripping from his nose. His face was covered in pure anger and violence, and Akaashi was almost afraid to get up.

Bokuto finally turned to Akaashi, leaning down to grab his arms and haul him up. Akaashi stumbled against Bokuto and sucked in a deep breath, inhaling Bokuto's scent of hair gel and sweat.

“We’re not splitting up again,” Bokuto whispered harshly. “That was too close.”

Akaashi just nodded. He didn’t plan on telling Bokuto that he had pitied the zombie. He didn’t plan on telling Bokuto just how glad he was to be standing near him, either.

Bokuto’s hands were still clenched around Akaashi’s wrists. “Akaashi, are you going to be okay? I don’t want something to happen to you.”

“I’m fine, Bokuto.”

“You almost died just then. If I wasn’t here to save you-”

“You’re being dramatic. I can survive on my own. It just caught me off guard.”

“You’re lying to me, Akaashi. What actually happened?”

“Can we talk about this when we get back to Kuroo’s?”

Bokuto opened his mouth to argue, then seemed to think better of it. “Alright, then. Let’s get some clothes and shit, and then get out of here before I have to save you again.”

Akaashi shouldered him but didn’t reply.


	4. Chapter 4

Kageyama had about had it with Hinata by the time they had returned to his house. Kageyama had been constantly reminding Hinata to be quiet but he couldn’t seem to listen, almost causing them to get chased by zombies twice.

“If I die because of you, dumbass, I’ll come back as a zombie to get you.”

“Then we can be zombies together!”

Kageyama buried his face in his hands. “Just shut up and help me gather some stuff.”

They were standing together in the living room of Hinata’s house. It was abandoned. Kageyama turned to head into the next room when he noticed Hinata standing oddly still, his eyes cast towards the ground.

“Hinata… what’s wrong with you?”

The boy’s hands were shaking and Kageyama sighed. 

Finally, after a minute of unbearable silence, he quietly said, “I don’t know where my mom or Natsu are.”

_ Oh. _

As heartless as it sounded, Kageyama had pretty much forgotten about them. When he’d gone back to his house, his parents were already gone, with a note telling him to survive on his own.

But Hinata…

“We can raid a different house, Hinata.”

“I… I need to grab some stuff first.”

Kageyama followed Hinata as they walked down the hallway and into his room. Kageyama had been there a few times when he and Hinata occasionally had sleepovers to study or to just hang out. 

Hinata hurried over to the closet and grabbed his tan bag, emptying his school supplies from it. He dug through his drawers, shoving a few things into the bag.

“Hurry up, Hinata,” Kageyama said, tapping his foot on the ground. He wanted to hurry back to the clubhouse. Waiting here was like asking the zombies to come to get them.

“Yeah, yeah,” Hinata muttered, rushing over to his desk and picking up a picture frame.

“What’s that?” Kageyama leaned over Hinata’s shoulder, but Hinata hid the picture against his chest.

“Nothing.”

“Show me.”

“It’s nothing!”

Kageyama grabbed at the photo and tugged, pulling Hinata with him. They both stumbled backward, Hinata falling onto Kageyama’s lap.

Kageyama’s cheeks heated an intense amount, but he ignored it. He had successfully stolen the picture from Hinata.

And when he looked at it, it wasn’t what he was expecting.

It was a photo of him and Hinata. It had been taken right after their win against Shiratorizawa, the two of them embracing each other and crying tears of joy.

“Who took this?” he asked.

Hinata tried to hide his face in his hands. “My friends from middle school.”

“Oh.” Kageyama gazed at the picture for a little longer, wishing more than anything that he could return to that moment. 

Hinata coughed, reminding Kageyama of their current position, and in a hurry, he shoved Hinata off of him, handing him the picture.

“Come on, dumbass. We need to get some more stuff.”

Hinata nodded. “I’ll get you a backpack and then we can go.”

******

They went to a few more houses in the neighborhood, all of which had been abandoned. Most of the food was missing, as well as the water, but the few bottles they found, they took.

Kageyama noticed that Hinata never really strayed far from his side. It made him feel… important. Like Hinata needed him.

They had grabbed a few blankets and pillows, as well as some clothes, mostly consisting of jackets and jeans to protect from the cold. At this point, they had been out for around two hours, and it would take them about 40 minutes to get back to the clubhouse. 

“Let’s head back,” Hinata murmured, reflecting Kageyama’s thoughts. “I don’t want to be out here when it gets dark.”

Kageyama didn’t reply, simply slinging his bag over his shoulder. They were standing in the foyer of a house on a street near Hinata’s, where they had collected some clothes.

Kageyama edged towards the door silently, raising his pistol cautiously. He had found the handgun in the house they were currently standing in, and though Hinata had protested, Kageyama had insisted on taking it. He wasn’t a very good shot, but he would use it to the best of his ability.

He felt Hinata standing right behind him, one hand placed on Kageyama’s arm. “Do you see anything?”

Kageyama peered out the window, spotting a few lumbering figures not too far from them. He pointed, and Hinata stretched up on his toes to see.

“What are we gonna do?”

“Back door,” Kageyama muttered, turning and heading through the house. “And be quiet, you dumbass. You’re going to get us killed if you don’t shut up.”

For once, Hinata listened, tugging anxiously on the strap of his bag. On their way through the kitchen, he grabbed a knife.

“Hinata, is that necessary?”

Hinata nodded, his hands shaking.

Kageyama just sighed, peeking out the kitchen door. There didn’t appear to be any zombies, so he warily cracked the door, sliding outside as quickly as possible. Hinata followed, and together they headed to the end of the yard. This house was almost the last on the block, and all the houses were separated by fences. They would have to climb over them.

Hinata seemed to get the idea and headed for the fence. Kageyama stifled a laugh as Hinata stretched up, reaching for the top of the fence. He could only just reach, and he hardly had the strength to pull himself up a foot or two.

“Here,” Kageyama whispered, placing his hands on Hinata’s waist. Hinata immediately started to protest, but Kageyama ignored him, lifting him up to the top of the fence. He shot a glare down at Kageyama before jumping down to the other side.

Kageyama climbed over the fence quickly and easily, dropping down on the other side. They repeated the process, Kageyama boosting Hinata up and over. But Hinata paused before dropping down and looked down at Kageyama in horror.

_ What now _ ? Kageyama rolled his eyes and lifted himself up to peer over the fence.

He saw what had Hinata so scared.

In the center of the yard was a dead body. A body that had not yet turned to a zombie.

And surrounding that body were quite a few zombies, each of them digging their fingernails into the corpse's skin, devouring its flesh.

Kageyama glared at Hinata, willing him to be quiet. He placed his hands on Hinata’s waist once more, ready to help him down, when the fence let out a loud crack.

Hinata turned, looked at the zombies, then said, “Kageyama,  _ hurry _ .”

Silence be damned. He yanked Hinata down beside him and they bolted for the house. Kageyama tried to open the door. Locked.

“Kageyama!” Hinata cried, and Kageyama looked over his shoulder. The zombies were throwing themselves against the fence, slowly starting to break through it. They were running out of time.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Kageyama hissed, slamming his fist against the door. “Come on, Hinata, think of something.”

“There.” Hinata pointed to a latch in the fence at the end of the yard. A gate.

“Go,” he snapped, shoving Hinata forward and racing after him just as the zombies broke through the fence.

He ignored his heart furiously beating in his chest as he unlatched the gate and raced out to the other side, checking that Hinata was right with him.

Hinata’s eyes were glazed with tears, but he didn’t stop running after making it out of the fence. On the other side, they were surrounded by towering trees. Hinata took the lead here, following the fence towards the end. Kageyama followed quickly after him, taking a quick look over his shoulder and immediately regretting it.

The zombies were close. Too close. They smelled like rotten food and death, and they made angry groaning noises.

He turned and focused on running, on keeping his breaths even and his footsteps quick. He and Hinata had just reached the end of the fence, but they didn’t slow.

“I’m taking us back to the road,” Hinata panted. “We have to get away from them.”

Kageyama nodded. They were now running together, Hinata taking longer strides to stay paced with Kageyama.

They were almost on the road. From beside the house they were currently racing past, Kageyama couldn’t tell if there were any more zombies there or not.

He had been doing his best to repress his fear this entire time, and right now surely wasn’t the time for it to show up, but all at once, he was overwhelmed with the thoughts of things he had lost. He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to die here, especially, in a neighborhood with Hinata.

_ Hinata _ . Kageyama didn’t want him to die either. But he wanted Hinata to survive more than anything. Hinata, who was always so pure and bright and optimistic. Hinata, who would do anything just to play volleyball. Hinata, who-

Hinata, who had just tripped and fallen to the ground, coughing and panting and crying.

The zombies were so close, way too close-

“Hinata!” Kageyama called, whirling around and reaching for the boy. Hinata tried scrambling to his feet, but he slipped again.

Kageyama couldn’t even function at that moment. He knew that his pistol was right in his waistband. He knew that he should do something,  _ anything _ to save Hinata, his spiker, his teammate, his  _ best friend _ -

And then, in a matter of seconds, the zombies were on the ground. Dead.

And grinning at Kageyama and Hinata from right behind the fallen zombies were Oikawa Tooru and Iwaizumi Hajime.


End file.
